


No-One Sees A Thief

by miss_madhatter



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/F, F/M, M/M, Prince Jean, Prince Levi - Freeform, Princess Historia, and levi is an asshole, and teenage hormones, and there will be much fluff, eren is a dork, eren is my fave impulsive hot headed thief, rating will probably be M or E in later chapters, where all three of them are slumming it, why cant ao3 spell Jaeger right?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-10
Updated: 2014-11-08
Packaged: 2018-02-12 12:43:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2110344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_madhatter/pseuds/miss_madhatter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No-one sees a thief. Except Historia. And no-one loves a thief. Except Levi. </p><p>Eren is a street urchin from Shiganshina who has an unhealthy obsession with the royal family. But he hates his job at the castle, and hates the Prince. Until he is employed as one of the Prince's personal staff, and he has to fight his beliefs and question everything he's ever known about him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

If there was one thing Eren would never understand, it was how the royal family worked.

 

Why did they need hundreds of carriages and heralds to announce their presence? Why did they need people throwing rose petals? The people with the petals weren’t even genuinely in love with the royal family – they were paid to throw them.

 

It was all about their reputation. Foreigners to the city left with tales of the beloved rulers of Mitras. How their people loved them. How they were swamped in the streets.

 

That might have been the case, but the swamping was either for money, or for a glimpse of the Princess. Both of which were why Eren was here today.

 

 

The first time he saw the Princess, he was 9. That was before he learned to fend for himself. He was still under the wing of Hannes and his gang of street urchins, and the royal parade was the perfect place for them to loosen a few purses.

 

Armin was stationed near the rich folks. No-one suspected him, not with the cherubic baby face. And if they did, quick-thinking Marco was with him to get him out of trouble.

 

Mikasa was in the merchant’s viewing area. She was the best thief out of them all, and the merchants had the sharpest eyes, so Hannes always sent her to them.

 

Annie, Bertholdt and Reiner were in the slums. With everyone at the parade, they made the perfect team to break into the empty houses.

 

Eren himself had been told to mingle with the crowd. He pushed through, dipping into a lady’s purse here, a man’s pocket there. Anything that could be sold was valuable. Anything that put food on their table was gold.

 

Somehow, he found himself at the very edge of the crowd. Members of the Prince’s Military Guard were lining the walkway, keeping the road clear for the royal carriages.

 

They had their backs to the road, arms linked to form a human barrier. Backs straight and eyes up – the Prince was known to be very strict on presentation.

 

For Eren, this just meant that his thieving passed below their line of vision.

 

A lady’s silk handkerchief was dangling out of her purse. He brushed against her, tucking it into his pocket.

 

Over there – a man’s pocket watch was loosely hanging from his coat pocket. He didn’t even notice as Eren swiped it.

 

But one person did.

 

Pocketing the pocket watch, Eren looked up to the parade.

 

Looking back at him from a carriage window was a girl with short blonde hair. She couldn’t have been more than 9 years old, and had a cherubic face similar to Armin’s.

 

And she had seen everything.

 

Feeling his mouth go dry, Eren glanced around. There was a break in the crowd to the left, enough for him to squeeze through and run.

 

But when he glanced back up at the parade, the carriage – and the girl – were gone.

 

* * *

 

Later that night, they were counting their loot.

 

One silk handkerchief, Eren. One pocketwatch, gold, Eren. Bag of coin, Mikasa. Silver necklace, Armin. Bag of coin, Reiner. Wrought iron candlesticks, Annie. Pearl earrings, Mikasa. Foxfur gloves, Bertholdt. Bag of coin, Marco. Silver earrings, Marco.

 

It was a decent days work, and the money from selling the items would last them all for at least two se’enights. Hannes was well pleased, and ordered Marco out to buy some pork buns from the bakery.

 

Eren didn’t mention the girl. He must have been mistaken, she hadn’t seen him after all.

 

He would be more careful next time.

 

* * *

 

The next time was when Eren was 16.

 

Royal Parade for the Princess’ 15th birthday.

 

The heralds had been crying it in the street for days. The Princess was in her last year of childhood, and eligible suitors would be presenting themselves at the castle for the next year.

 

Today was her day to be showcased.

 

Just like a prized pet, Eren thought in disgust. He held no patience for the ostentatious displays that the royal family put on.

 

But he would be attending the parade. He might have moved out of Hannes’ little gang, just like they all did when they were able to fend for themselves, but he remembered what he had been taught.

 

The Royal Parade was the best place for a thief to earn a living.

 

It was different, this time. Mikasa, Annie and Marco were all working at the castle. Mikasa in the kitchens, always reliable for bringing home food. Annie was a maid to one of the lower class nobility, and often managed to bring them small comforts. Marco was a stable boy.

 

Reiner and Bertholdt were working as armorer’s apprentices. Armin was a scribe’s assistant. They had all stuck together even after leaving the protection of Hannes.

 

But Eren was still a thief.

 

It wasn’t that he couldn’t get a job – that was the easy part. There was always someone looking for odds and ends to be fixed up, or for a hired hand.

 

But Eren was a better thief now than Mikasa had ever been. He could take a man’s purse from his breeches without them feeling a thing. He could remove a lady’s jewels from her belt without suspicion.

 

Thievery paid better than any honest job he could have found, and it was Eren who put most of the meals on the table in their little shack.

 

Mikasa didn’t like it, but she never stopped wearing the red scarf Eren managed to buy her with a month of dangerous theft.

 

Usually though, he stuck to safer pickings. It would do them no good if their primary source of income was imprisoned.

 

So today, he was wandering through the edge of the crowd. He might have gotten taller, but his hands were still far below the guards line of sight. Here, a bag of coin dangling from a belt. There, another handkerchief. His 5th today.

 

A lady’s necklace lay exposed on her neck, over a silk scarf, as she bent to listen to her child. It looked to be gold. He unfastened it as she bent down and pocketed it.

 

Really, the ones who wore scarves made it too easy. They couldn’t feel a thing through the fabric.

 

Glancing around for more pickings, his gaze fell upon the Royal Carriage and froze.

 

The girl was looking at him.

 

She was older now. Obviously. She was wearing a soft blue dress, trimmed in gold. A golden chain was evident on her chest.

 

And a half-crown – a tiara? – glimmered in her hair.

 

Shit. _Shit_.

 

The Princess Historia had just caught him thieving.

 

Eren turned around. No gaps in the crowd. He glanced back at the carriage, where the Princess was leaning out towards him.

 

Was she about to call to the guards? Shit, he was so screwed. Mikasa would kill him.

 

But no shout came.

 

Eren looked up again.

 

She was smiling at him. Her hair was blowing into her face as the carriage rolled away, but she smiled at him.

 

She was beautiful.

 

Eren wandered around in a daze for the rest of the day. When he bought back about half his usual bounty, Armin raised an eyebrow.

 

“Did something happen, Eren? This isn’t much, for a day at the Parade,” he said.

 

“Sorry,” Eren mumbled.

 

He’d been too distracted since his encounter with the Princess to concentrate properly on relieving the nobility of their luxuries.

 

He was quiet all through dinner, and while Reiner and Marco more than made up for his silence, Mikasa definitely wasn’t fooled.

 

She cornered him later that night.

 

“What happened today, Eren?” she asked.

 

“Nothing.”

 

Eren avoided her gaze studiously. Mikasa knew him better than anyone and would be able to tell if he was lying.

 

“Eren…”

 

“Look, Mikasa, its none of your business,” snapped Eren.

 

She looked hurt, and Eren regretted his words almost immediately.

 

“Mikasa, I –“

 

“No, Eren, its okay. I just worry about you a lot.”

 

She turned and walked back into the room she shared with Annie, leaving Eren standing there feeling like a piece of shit.

 

He’d make it up to her tomorrow, he thought, and headed for his room.

 

Armin was already in there, but Reiner, Bertholdt and Marco were nowhere to be seen. Probably downstairs playing cards.

 

Eren walked over to the bed and flopped down. There was really only one explanation for all this, he thought.

 

“Armin,” he announced, “I think I’m in love.”

 

* * *

 

Armin had laughed at him back then, Eren recalled. But that obsession begun two years ago showed itself again today.

 

Today, Princess Historia Reiss would become Princess Historia Kirschtein. She was being married to Prince Jean Kirschtein of the Southern Isles.

 

Eren thought he looked like a horse. Poor Historia. Her children would be mules.

 

The wedding was to be privately held today, in the Holy Church of St. Mitras. Attendance was by invitation only, and was limited to the nobility.

 

So of course, Eren was in attendance.

 

He had climbed in through the roof of the adjacent abbey, cranked open a window and was now lying precariously on one of the rafters high above the aisle.

 

He hoped no-one bothered to look up.

 

He knew no-one would bother to look up the moment he saw Historia.

 

She was glowing. There was no other way for his lovelorn brain to describe it. Her dress was pure white silk and lace, embellished with diamonds. Her veil covered her soft blond locks and flowed behind her. Her train was like a river of ice.

 

She glided up the isle on the arm of her brother, the adopted Crown Prince. He was a stark contrast to her, dressed all in black with his military adornments flashing on his breast.

 

In all honesty, Eren didn’t know why he was here. It was painful, after all the dreams that he’d entertained about somehow meeting the Princess. Maybe she was tired of castle life and wanted to escape, and he would be her savior when she was cornered in the alleys of the Shiganshina district.

 

She would fall in love with him, leave her glorified life and come and live a simple, happy life with him somewhere far away.

 

It was heartbreaking, watching her given away to some horsefaced, jumped up bastard prince.

 

They were saying their wedding vows now. The Princess was ducking her head, smiling softly as the sandy haired idiot placed a ring on her finger.

 

And then they kissed.

 

Eren looked away. It was time to leave.

 

Amidst the cheering and the shower of rose petals, he slipped away unnoticed over the rafters and out the window.

 

* * *

 

Eren had been moping in his room for several days now. Despite Mikasa’s best efforts, he wouldn’t leave his bed. He ate only when Armin complained that the rumbling of his stomach was preventing him from sleeping. He refused to go out to steal, leaving Marco to work overtime at the castle to make up the deficit.

 

Not that it mattered. Marco had been making almost twice as much as Eren lately. He had also started bringing back little luxury items – a cravat here, a fine cloak there.

 

But that didn’t matter. Nothing mattered, because his Historia was gone. Never would he see her again, not with that Kirschstein bastard.

 

“Eren…” That was Armin, sighing in exasperation at his childhood friend.

 

“Armin, I may die. My heart is broken, my dreams crushed,” Eren declared. Armin just didn’t understand. It had been love, true love, and it was forever out of his reach now.

 

“I will never love again.”

 

Armin rolled his eyes, grimacing at Marco, who was standing in the doorway.

 

“Still feeling down, Eren?” asked Marco.

 

“Marco, have you ever been in love?” Eren replied.

 

Marco blushed slightly, and limped over to the bed.

 

“Well, I don’t know if it’s love, but…”

 

“Oh my gosh Marco! You’re seeing someone! That’s why you’ve been home late and bringing back all these luxuries. Is she pretty? Rich? Is she a Lady?” That was Armin, bubbling with excitement over his deduction.

 

Marco was blushing even harder now.

 

“I’ve been… seeing someone. They’re really important though, so I can’t say who.”

 

At this, Eren wailed.

 

“See! Marco, you’ve found your true love. But I will never have mine,” he said morosely.

 

“Eren, it was just a crush!” said Armin.

 

Eren just turned and muffled his face with the pillow.

 

“Lnnfgh mff affne, Affmfn.”

 

Marco laughed. “Come on, Armin, it’s dinner time. Eren, if you want food, come downstairs.”

 

They both exited the room, leaving Eren to his lovelorn squalor.

 

* * *

 

Several days later, Eren was gushing to Armin in their room.

 

“She was so pretty, Armin! And she smiled at me, and thanked me for my help, and then kissed my cheek!”

 

Armin was alarmed. “Who, Eren? Surely you don’t mean Princess Historia?”

 

Eren scoffed. “Historia? No, no! Weren’t you listening? Her name is Petra, and she’s the Prince’s personal maid.”

 

“So what happened to Historia then?”

 

“I love Petra now. I thought about it, long and hard, and I realised that what I felt for Historia was a mere boyish fantasy.”

 

Armin still looked skeptical, but just nodded as Eren continued his rant.

 

From their positions in the doorway, Marco and Reiner laughed.

* * *

 

 

It had been a bad day for Eren. First, he left the house in a merry mood, skipping along the pavement, only to slip in some horseshit and ruin his best jacket. It was all the fault of that idiot Prince, the one who married Historia. His horse face had multiplied the amount of horseshit lying around the city.

 

Then, he went to the bakers to buy some of his favourite pork buns, only to find that they were sold out. Disgruntled, he returned to the house to beg off some of Marco’s cooking, only to be kicked out to work.

 

So he was wandering around the city, filching objects from stalls, purses and bodies.

 

And then he got caught.

 

The gentleman who he had been relieving of his pocket watch reached for the item just as Eren slid his hand out of his pocket.

 

Needless to say, Eren had spent a day in the stocks, and was now trudging home penniless and covered in rotten fruit.

 

Mikasa was going to love this.

 

After being yelled at for 33 minutes exactly, Mikasa sent Eren up to bathe, claiming he smelt like the slums of Trost district.

 

When he came down for dinner, his favourite noodle dish was finished, and Mikasa was waiting for him. The expression on her face was familiar – it meant trouble, usually in the form of some extreme mother henning.

 

He was right.

 

“Eren, I think it’s about time you got a proper job.”

 

Eren gaped. “What, no! I’m doing fine as it is!” he said.

 

Mikasa raised an eyebrow at him.

 

“You were arrested today. Next time, they’ll throw you in the castle dungeons,” she said.

 

“I’ll be careful, Mikasa! I – “

 

“No, Eren. My supervisor at the castle says he can give you a job, as long as you keep your nose clean and don’t steal anything important.”

 

Eren opened his mouth to argue back, but before he could say a word, Mikasa spoke again.

 

“I’ve spoken to the Garrison, asking them to keep a special watch for a green-eyed thief. Anywhere you go in public, they’ll recognise you.”

 

“Mikasa, why would you do that?” Eren asked, horrified. Thieving was a way to supplement their income, make a little extra on the side and let them all live comfortably.

 

But no more, it seemed. Mikasa’s intervention had ruined any career he had as a thief.

 

“Fine, I’ll do your stupid castle job. But there are no Garrison in the castle, so I’ll just steal from there!” he said defiantly.

 

A smile ghosted across Mikasa’s lips. “I wouldn’t expect any less of you, Eren,” she said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed that!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is formally introduced. Eren hates him.

Eren began his new job the very next day.

 

Originally, he had protested at this, trying to claim a few days holiday before Mikasa thrust him into a job he would hate.

 

But, after being dumped out of bed when the cock crowed, he resentfully agreed to begin a day or two early.

 

So here he was, mucking out the stables with Marco. The older boy had a genuine smile on his face, as if the horseshit was some exquisite perfume.

 

Speaking of which, Eren was convinced more than ever that this was where the horsefaced Prince lived. He had seen him hanging around the stables at least 4 times this morning, but the shitty bastard never bothered to come in.

 

What was he doing out there, admiring the piles of shit?

 

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside, and both Eren and Marco looked up at each other.

 

“Let’s go check it out,” suggested Eren. He would do anything to get away from this shitty job.

 

Marco looked undecided, being the goody-goody that he was, but Eren grabbed his arm and insistently dragged him out the door.

 

Outside, a man was sitting astride a regal black battlehorse. The horse was saddled in a gold trimmed saddle, marking it as being owned by one of the higher-ranking army officers.

 

The man himself was dressed in a black travelling cloak, black breeches and a white shirt tucked into his pants, displaying a leather belt. A white cravat showed beneath the cloak. He was wearing black leather boots, studded with silver buckles.

 

Allowing his glance to trail up to the man’s face, Eren gulped.

 

He was… intimidating. Slanted eyes, of undeterminable colour at this distance, short black hair in an undercut, bangs falling into his eyes. Thin, arched eyebrows, a small nose and a hard mouth.

 

The intimidation could also have to do with the riding crop in his left hand and the arrogant expression on his face as he spoke to one of the grooms.

 

“You! Send a runner up to the Queen, tell her to be in the private chambers in half an hour. Fetch me a brush, oats and water for my horse. And have my chambers prepared. Well, what are you waiting for?” he spoke scathingly, as if the unfortunate groom should have done it already.

 

Eren stepped forward. He didn’t know who this asshole was, but he sure had a jumped up opinion of himself.

 

“Hey, you,” he called, “What’s your deal? The groom never did anything to you, show a little respect.”

 

He ignored Marco, who was frantically tugging on his sleeve, trying to drag him back inside, and instead stared at the guy.

 

White cravat was turning to stare down at Eren as if he’d just found a particularly nasty mutt.

 

“Dear Lord,” came the sarcastic remark, “what kind of brats are we hiring these days? I’ll have to speak with Mother.”

 

And then he turned away from Eren and dismounted, leading his horse into the stables and dismissing the stableboy entirely.

 

Eren felt like he’d just been slapped. He was dirt under that man’s shoe, and the man had been sure to let him know it without saying a word to him.

 

Numbly, nursing his wounded pride, he submitted to Marco’s demands and retreated into his section of the stables.

 

* * *

 

“Eren tried to pick a fight with Prince Levi today.”

 

Eren choked on his noodles and glared at Marco, feeling betrayed. Everyone around the table was looking at him now. Armin looked exasperated, Reiner amused, Annie indifferent, Mikasa…

 

Shit. Mikasa was looking _pissed._

 

Eren gulped down the remainder of his noodles in record time. “Well guys, I’m off to bed! Early night, lots of work, gotta be up early y’know!”

 

That said, he dumped his bowl in the sink and bolted up the stairs to his room.

 

When Armin came up soon after, Eren turned to him.

 

“Is she still mad?” he asked with apprehension.

 

Armin laughed at him. “No, Eren, she went up with Annie.”

 

Eren nodded. He was safe for the night then.

 

But Armin wasn’t done.

 

“So what happened with the Prince?” he asked.

 

Eren sat up straight in his bed, taking a deep breath.

 

“He was – such an asshole! He treated the groom like shit, then ignored me and acted as if I was dirt under his feet!” he said.

 

Armin groaned. “Out of all people, you try and pick a fight with Prince Levi. Eren, you couldn’t wait a week to start causing trouble, could you?”

 

“I’ll show that jumped up, cravat wearing prick who’s dirt around here,” Eren was muttering.

 

Armin just crawled into bed, ignoring Eren’s indignant mutters. If he didn’t, it was sure to be a long night.

 

The next morning, Eren was up bright and early once again and heading off to the castle. For the whole day tending the horses in the stables, he kept an eye out for the upstart Prince.

 

The Prince’s black horse was groomed and magnificent in a freshly scrubbed stall, munching on a neat bundle of hay in the corner. Eren wondered who had cleaned him down – it certainly hadn’t been any of the grooms.

 

He walked over to the animal. Really, it bore a striking resemblance to its owner. Narrow, slanted eyes and silky black hair, with a mean look about it.

 

Eren snorted, and reached out a hand to pet the beast.

 

“I bet you’re nothing like him though, are you? You’re a nice, sweet – OW!”

 

He jumped away from the horse, nursing his hand where it had bitten him.

 

Glaring at the offending creature, he stalked away. “Like horse, like owner,” he muttered resentfully.

 

“He doesn’t like brats.”

 

The voice made Eren jump, yelping as he hit his head on a hard object. Nursing the wound, he looked up to glare at whoever had startled him.

 

Only to find himself looking into the amused, slate grey eyes of the Prince.

 

“Sorry to startle you,” drawled the upstart.

 

Eren ignored him. He hadn’t forgotten his wounded ego from yesterday, and his wounded head only added to his ire. He’d be damned if he spoke to this jumped up asshole.

 

“It’s rude to ignore your betters, you know,” the Prince was saying.

 

Well, Eren couldn’t keep his mouth shut for very long anyway.

 

“It’s a good thing that there aren’t any of my betters around then, isn’t it?”

 

For a moment, the Prince looked shocked, as if no-one ever dared to speak back to him before. But then – was that amusement Eren saw on his face? It was gone a second later though, replaced by the usual mask of boredom.

 

“Careful, brat,” hissed the Prince.

 

Definitely not amusement, then.

 

Doing his best not to seem intimidated, Eren turned his back on the Prince and walked out of the stables on shaky legs.

 

Marco was waiting for him outside, and immediately grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

 

“Eren,” he whispered urgently, “you’ve got to stop this. Prince Levi isn’t someone to be messed with. Jean says – a friend of mine says that he doesn’t take kindly to insubordination, and his punishments are supposed to be brutal.”

 

Eren merely scoffed at Marco’s words. “As if that runt could do anything to me. And who’s Jean?”

 

“No-no-one!” Marco said, flustered, “Just keep it in mind, Eren.”

 

Eren nodded absentmindedly, but he was already planning his next encounter with the Prince.

 

Next time, he wouldn’t be surprised or dismissed. Their next encounter would end well for Eren, he would make sure of it. 

 

* * *

 

The next time wasn’t for weeks.

 

Prince Levi was out commanding the Army, Eren heard after some obsessive searching. He was expected to return soon.

 

He wasn’t coming back for months, said Petra.

 

Auruo, Petra’s boyfriend, said he would be back in days.

 

In short, no-one seemed to know anything about when the Prince would return.

 

Marco and Armin were reaching the end of their patience with Eren. He had done nothing more than complain about the Prince for the last three weeks, interrogating all the castle staff he could find as to his whereabouts.

 

His behaviour was bordering on obsessive – so much so that he had requested to be reassigned to cleaning the battlements so that he would have a birds eye view of the Prince’s return.

 

Needless to say, his request was denied.

 

So he was stuck in the stables with Marco, who had taken to cleaning the opposite end of the room to him and leaving for frequent breaks. The horse faced Prince was still hanging around the stables too, and always seemed to find errands for Marco to run.

 

Eren thought that he was a bastard too. Marco always came back from the errands flushed and panting, as if he had run to one end of the castle and back.

 

It was while Marco was on one such errand that Prince Levi returned.

 

Eren was mucking out the Prince’s stall at the time, humming to himself as he swept out the old hay and replaced it.

 

In this state, preoccupied with a stubborn patch of hay that seemed glued to the floor, he didn’t hear the fanfare of the heralds outside, or the snappy voice calling for some unfortunate soul to come serve him.

 

But when the stable door opened, he was quick to jump and and look at the intruder.

 

It was Marco. Hair tousled, face flushed, and beckoning urgently to Eren.

 

“Eren! You’ve got to go down to the kitchens, the cook has some – uh – some carrots, to bring to the horses!” he whispered.

 

Eren was suspicious. “I thought that was where you went,” he said.

 

“Well, you’ve got to go now, quickly!” Marco grabbed his shirt and dragged him from the stables.

 

Outside, Prince Levi was dismounting from his horse.

 

Eren gaped. “Marco, I’m not going anywhere! I’ve been waiting for him for weeks, I can’t miss my chance!”

 

Marco continued to tug on his clothing. “The carrots, Eren!”

 

“The carrots can wait,” Eren said.

 

Marco was about to reply, but then the Prince’s eye fell on the two of them.

 

He smirked as he dismounted his horse – really, how was he so graceful? – and led it over to them.

 

“Here. Take my horse to her stall. Do not touch her otherwise, or try and clean her. You will just leave the fleas on her. Leave the doors unlocked, I will return shortly.”

 

Eren was speechless. All his weeks of planning this encounter, and the Prince just walked away, leaving his horses’s reins dangling from Eren’s hands.

 

* * *

 

It was time to come up with a new plan of action, Eren decided. To that end, the next time he had a break, he went searching for Petra.

 

He found her in the washerwomen’s quarters, neatly folding a white cravat and a black cloak.

 

“Eren!” she smiled.

 

“Petra, I need your help,” he said, “It’s important.”

 

She finished folding the cravat and set it neatly on a bench, before looking to him expectantly.

 

“I need a job with the Prince’s personal staff.”

 

Petra looked shocked at this, clearly not expecting his request.

 

“But Eren, you hate the Prince.”

 

“Please, Petra. I’ll do anything for you, but can you please ask your supervisor for a job for me?”

 

Petra looked uncertain. “Eren, our supervisor is the Prince himself. He handpicks all his personal staff and oversees our training himself. It’s really tough, he’s very strict with the new staff.”

 

But Eren was not to be deterred. “I can put up with his rules and training. Please, Petra, won’t you ask?” he said.

 

Petra still looked unsure, so Eren pulled out his last card.

 

Puppy dog eyes.

 

He pouted, tilting his head down slightly and looking up at Petra through wide green eyes.

 

She shook her head.

 

He pouted more.

 

She sighed. “Fine, Eren! But I can’t guarantee he’ll even see you,” she said.

 

Eren beamed, leaping forward and hugging her tight. “Thanks, Petra! You’re the best!”

 

“And don’t you forget it,” she said, smiling.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Eren was happily mucking out the stables with Marco when a messenger in the Prince’s livery came down to fetch him.

 

“The Prince Levi requests your presence in the Rose Receiving room, in 5 minutes.”

 

Eren was too shocked to move, but Marco’s gasp quickly got him going.

 

“Eren, what have you done?” Marco cried after him as he bolted from the stables.

 

5 minutes? He didn’t even know where the Rose Receiving room was, how was he supposed to get there in 5 minutes?

 

Spotting a tall blond man turning the corner in front of him, he ran towards him and tapped him on the shoulder.

 

“E-excuse me? Sir, I’ve gotta be at the Rose Receiving room in 5 minutes, d’you know where it is?” he asked.

 

The man turned to him. He was dressed in white, with a beige jacket and a heavy green cloak.

 

“Rose, you say?” His voice was deep and reassuring.

 

Eren nodded, puffing slightly. “Yes, it’s really important that I get there in a hurry.”

 

The man smiled. “So, you’re off to see Levi then? So am I, as it happens. Come, we’ll go together.”

 

“S-sir! It’s okay, you can just tell me the directions! I really need to be there in 5 minutes!”

 

“If you’re with me, it won’t matter,” the man chuckled, “but since you insist, we shall hurry.”

 

“Thank you!” Eren said.

 

Together they walked through the castle. Left, right, right, round the corner and left again – Eren soon lost track of where they were going and concentrated on keeping up with the blond man, who’s strides forced Eren to jog.

 

It was the man who broke the silence.

 

“So, what’s your name?” he asked.

 

“Eren, Sir!” he replied, slightly out of breath.

 

“And why are you being summoned to the Prince, Eren?”

 

“I hope its about a job in his personal staff,” Eren said.

 

The man beside him looked genuinely shocked for a minute. “It’s odd to find someone so eager to work for Levi,” he mused, “Why are you so keen on it?”

 

Eren faltered. But the man had helped him heaps, and seemed to be genuinely interested in him, so he decided to tell him the truth.

 

“Well, you see Sir, I’ve had a few encounters with Prince Levi, and every time, he’s treated me like sh- dirt.”

 

“So you’re trying to get his attention?” asked the man.

 

Eren blushed. “Well, when you say it like that…”

 

The bigger man tilted his head back and _laughed._

 

That certainly hadn’t been what Eren was expecting. Scorn, yes. Disdain, yes. Laughter? No.

 

But the blond was still laughing, trailing down to a chuckle as they approached a door with a rose etched into it.

 

“This is Levi’s study. Technically, it’s a public receiving room, but no-one really argues with him about it.”

 

Eren nodded. “Are you coming in?” he asked.

 

The man chuckled again. “Nervous?”

 

“A little.” He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and ran a hand through his hair, hoping he didn’t smell too bad.

 

“It’s alright. Levi can be intimidating at first, but he’s a good person. Just try not to look too terrified.”

 

Eren nodded, straightened his back and knocked on the door.

 

There was no reply. He raised his hand to knock again, but the man behind him quickly grabbed his hand.

 

“Levi doesn’t deal with impatience. Just wait,” he said.

 

Finally, a terse “Come in” was heard.

 

Eren looked back at the blond man, who nodded and gestured to the door. “Don’t keep him waiting.”

 

So he turned the handle and stepped inside, followed by the man.

 

The Prince was sitting at a large mahogany desk in the centre of the room. He had abandoned the cloak, which was hanging on a silver hook on the wall. The cravat was absent as well, and he was wearing a shirt of red silk unbuttoned to the third button. His pants, again, were black.

 

He was really attractive, up close. And he was regarding Eren with raised eyebrows as the boy continued his inspection.

 

“Done staring?”

 

“No! I mean yes! I mean, no, I wasn’t staring!” Eren spluttered.

 

The Prince ignored this.

 

“You’re late, brat.”

 

“It was my fault,” the blond man interjected, “I ran into him in the halls and insisted on him accompanying me.”

 

“Tch, Erwin. Ruining my hired help already?” The Prince spoke with a degree of warmth in his voice, Eren noted in surprise. He hadn’t thought it was possible.

 

Erwin simply smiled down at the Prince. “I’m an old man, Levi. I can’t go running through the corridors like I used to.”

 

“Don’t remind me,” the Prince muttered.

 

Eren must have been looking confused, or surprised, because Erwin turned to him.  


“I was Levi’s nursemaid when he was a child,” he said.

 

“Oh, I thought you were the commander of the army or something,” said Eren, blushing again.

 

Erwin laughed at that, and even the Prince had a smile – smirk – on his face.

 

“Taking my job title too, Erwin?” he asked.

 

Erwin spread his arms and shrugged. “Well, Levi, I’ve got to be going. Good luck with your new staff member,” he said.

 

Turning to Eren, he continued, “Enjoy your new job, Eren. I’ll see you around.”

 

He left the room, the door clicking shut behind him. With that, the easy atmosphere disappeared, and Eren wrung his hands together as he waited for the Prince to speak.

 

After a minute of ignoring Eren, the Prince sighed.

 

“Well, it looks like Erwin has already hired you for me. Come on, brat, I’ll show you around.”

 

Eren just gaped. No sarcastic comment? No rude snapping?

 

This was a better idea than he had thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love it when Levi is a general asshole. Poor Eren. 
> 
> On another note, this chapter is beta'd by microsoft word, so if you find any errors I'm very sorry, if it's major please let me know and I'll fix them. Thanks to everyone who left kudos!
> 
> PREVIEW OF NEXT CHAPTER: 
> 
> “That desk is mahogany,” the Prince hissed, “Tell me, Jaeger, would you clean mahogany with that filthy rag?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awkward situations and extreme misunderstandings.

“That desk is _mahogany_ ,” the Prince hissed, “Tell me, Jaeger, would you clean _mahogany_ with that filthy rag?”

 

Eren kept quiet, shuffling his feet a little as he looked at the floor.

 

“Throw out that flea-ridden cloth and follow me.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness,” said Eren, keeping the sarcasm carefully out of his voice.

 

It had been a week since the Prince hired him, and he had yet to go a day without being yelled at. It seemed Erwin’s recommendation only extended so far when it came to the irritable Prince.

 

Eren was still shocked that he had this job, though. In the short time since he had been employed, he had managed to figure out that it was notoriously difficult to get a job with the Prince.

 

He had also learnt that there was a betting pool running amongst the castle staff. They were betting on how long he would last in Prince Levi’s service before he quit or was fired.

 

Auruo had informed him of this, cheerily telling him that he had bet 25 denarii on him being sacked by the end of the first month. He also told Eren that many people were confused about his supposed desire to work for the Prince.

 

“No-one wants to work for Levi, really,” Auruo had said, “People think you just want a piece of his ass – OW!”

 

While Auruo nursed his bitten tongue, Eren turned to Petra. She merely shrugged and told him that she contributed to the 25 denarii that Auruo bet on him.

 

As he jogged to catch up to the Prince, Eren was starting to think that he should get in on this betting pool himself. He might at least make a lot of money even if he lost his job.

 

The Prince turned left, then right and into his private wing of the castle. Eren had never been in here before, knowing that the Prince would punish him severely if he dared.

 

That didn’t mean he hadn’t been planning a visit. The opportunity just hadn’t presented itself yet.

 

“Sit down, Eren.”

 

It was the first time that the Prince had used his name, and it took Eren a minute to register that he was being spoken to.

 

He sat on the chair that the Prince had indicated and waited.

 

“At the end of one week, I give my staff an evaluation. I don’t tolerate slackers or idiots, and you seem to be neither, Jaeger,” he said, “So tell me. Why is it that you insisted on working for me?”

 

Eren gulped. Had Petra told him about his desperate request? Maybe he shouldn’t have come across so determined to get the job.

 

Oh, _shit._ What if he’d heard that Eren was supposedly out to get a ‘piece of his ass’?

 

He was so fired.

 

But before he could say anything stupid to the Prince, a familiar blond entered the room behind them. Eren grinned. It was Erwin!

 

Over the last week, Erwin had been in to see Eren several times, ostensibly to give him advice about working for Levi. Some of his words – “don’t touch his desk, don’t wear stained clothes around him and don’t _ever_ enter his private rooms without permission. Or at least without clean boots” – had been enormously helpful to Eren over the last few days.

 

The warnings about the Prince’s almost obsessive cleanliness had also saved Eren a severe punishment.

 

He didn’t know if Erwin could save him now, though. Not when he was grinning stupidly in the Prince’s presence.

 

One didn’t just smile in front of the Prince. The Prince dost not smile, and so neither shall thou.

 

“Levi.”

 

He was saved! Erwin, the blond God, had spoken and saved him!

 

Eren quickly wiped the grin off his face and nodded to Erwin in what he hoped was a dignified manner. The Prince was also looking at his mentor, eyebrows raised as if to ask what the fuck he was doing here.

 

“What the fuck are you doing here, Erwin?”

 

Erwin smiled. “I came to remind you about the ball tonight. You’ll have to attend this one, I’m afraid.”

 

“I’m not wasting my time dancing at a gathering of pretentious, unattractive brats,” the Prince said flatly.

 

“I’ve laid out your clothes. You’ll also have to choose a server for yourself,” said Erwin, completely ignoring the Prince’s earlier statement.

 

Eren had never seen anyone get away with as much as Erwin did, when it came to the Prince.

 

The Prince was now running a hand through his hair, letting his bangs fall back into his eyes.

 

“I’ll be coming in late,” he threatened. Eren could have laughed – the arrogant Prince sounded like a petulant child.

 

Erwin seemed to know exactly how to handle Levi in this mood, though, as he merely nodded indulgently and left the room with a wave to Eren.

 

“What are you smiling at, brat?” the Prince demanded.

 

Eren jumped. “Nothing, my Prince!” he said with a smile. He was fully expecting a lecture for his insubordination, but the Prince merely glared at him.

 

“You’re serving for me tonight. Get some decent clothes from Petra and be in the Sina Ballroom by 6pm.”

 

With that, the Prince stood and stalked out of the room.

 

* * *

 

“Petra! Petraaaaaaa?” Eren had been searching for the maid for the last 20 minutes.

 

“Petra, I need your help! Hey! Hey Auruo, where’s Petra?” he called to the man.

 

Auruo, who was just exiting a broom cupboard, jumped and flushed guiltily at the sound of Eren’s voice.

 

“I’m right here, Eren,” said Petra, stepping out from the cupboard behind Auruo.

 

Her skirts were crooked, her lips swollen and her hair tangled.

 

Eren blushed. “I- I didn’t mean to interrupt you –“

 

Petra laughed. “It’s okay, Eren. What did you need?”

 

“Well, the Prince says I have to serve for him tonight, and told me to get clothes from you.”

 

“Serve for him? At the ball tonight?” Petra asked, looking genuinely shocked.

 

“Yes! And I need to be there by 6pm, Petra, please help me!”

 

“Of course I’ll help you, Eren, but are you sure he asked you to serve?”

 

Eren shrugged. “Yeah, I figured it was a punishment for not doing something,” he said.

 

“Eren! Levi only ever asks his best servants to serve him at state events,” she said urgently, “Come on. I have to show you what to do, you absolutely can’t mess up tonight at all.”

 

Eren was completely nonplussed, but allowed Petra to drag him along the hallway and towards the Prince’s rooms. Why would the Prince allow him to serve?

 

Was he just waiting for Eren to give him an excuse to fire him? Was it a test?

 

Eren set his shoulders at that and concentrated to everything that Petra was saying. If it was a test, he would be damned if he let that asshole Prince find a reason to fail him.

 

* * *

 

It was 7 p.m. that same night, and Eren was bored out of his mind. He was trailing around behind the Prince as he made his way through the ballroom, greeting all the guests coldly. Why had he come, if he was hated it so much?

 

So far Eren had poured the Prince three glasses of wine, adjusted his cravat once and had to clean up after an unfortunate lady who spilt her drink over the Prince’s shoes.

 

If there was anything more humiliating than wiping wine off the Prince’s polished black shoes, Eren was dying to know about it. To make matters worse, Annie had also been serving at the ball for her Lady, an enthusiastic woman called Hanji Zoe. By tonight, Mikasa would know of his humiliation, and Eren would never hear the end of it.

 

Plus, he was really bored. He had tried to make small talk with Annie while the Prince and Lady Hanji spoke, but the Prince had quickly dragged him away from the exuberant woman’s affections.

 

Since then, they had wandered around the ballroom, Eren refilling Levi’s glass almost continuously and Levi making icy conversation with various important Lords and Ladies.

 

The King and Queen were seated on the dais on matching gold and silver thrones, along with Princess Historia and her horsey husband, who sat on what looked to be bronze. The Prince seemed to be eyeing the empty black throne on the dais, but he made no move towards it.

 

Eren wished he would. His feet were getting _tired,_ cramped up in these pointy shoes.

 

“Levi!”

 

Well, it seemed like Eren would get his wish granted. The Queen was leaning forward on her gilded silver throne and beckoning to her adopted son.

 

The Prince turned at the sound of her voice, turning to face the dais.

 

On his face, Eren saw the closest thing to smile that he had ever seen from Levi.

 

He was shocked into inactivity for a minute, before hurrying behind Levi as he strode towards the dais.

 

“Mother, Father.” Levi nodded his head to the King and Queen. Eren just gaped at them. He had never been this close the any of the Royal family before, excluding the Prince. And the Prince was an asshole, so the wow factor was completely negated for Eren.

 

But the King and Queen! They were beautiful, exuding power and grace as they watched over the proceedings. The Princess Historia was like an angel up close, with her soft blond hair and glittering circlet. Even the Prince Jean didn’t look so horsey at this distance.

 

Eren didn’t even realise he was staring until a laugh from the Queen drew his attention.

 

Oh, shit. The Prince was glaring at him, while horseface smirked and the Princess giggled in the background.

 

Eren gulped. “I- I beg your pardon, Your Royal Majesties!” he said, blushing.

 

The Queen smiled at him. “Are you Levi’s new server?” she asked.

 

“Yes, your Highness!”

 

“Erwin has spoken highly of you, young man. And I can see that his words are true, since our Levi has chosen you to serve him tonight.”

 

Eren glanced sidelong at the Prince. That was the second time he had heard about the supposed honour of this position tonight.

 

“I’m glad to hear it, Your Highness,” he said softly.

 

The Princess Historia was leaning forward in her seat.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

Eren blushed again. The Princess was speaking to him! His long forgotten childhood crush, his childhood dreams were coming true!

 

“His name is Eren,” snapped a voice to the right of him, “and he’s my server, not my baby, so stop cooing over him.”

 

The King, who had been indulgently silent this whole time, frowned at this. “Levi, remember your manners,” he said, “We are in a public ballroom.”

 

The Prince – Levi – nodded curtly and moved along the dais, sitting down in his own throne. Eren positioned himself behind him, refilling the empty wineglass as Levi tapped it.

 

It was going to be a long night.

 

* * *

 

It was a long night. By the time the last of the guests had left, Eren’s toes were numb and he was struggling not to yawn. The Prince had left hot on the heels of the last guest, and Eren, taken by surprise, had hastily nodded to the King and Queen and ran after him.

 

Looking back, he realised that that was probably a major breach of etiquette, but Levi was motioning for a refill of his wine as they walked. Eren had to concentrate on not spilling wine on the Prince’s shoes again.

 

This had to have been Levi’s tenth glass of wine tonight though, and Eren was slightly worried.

 

Sure, the Prince didn’t appear to be drunk, but with Levi, you could never really tell. Eren watched him closely. His steps weren’t as graceful as usual, his shoulders slightly slumped and his breathing suddenly seeming loud and ragged to Eren’s ears.

 

Definitely drunk.

 

“My Prince?” he called to the man in front of him.

 

The Prince gave no indication that he had heard, and continued walking.

 

Eren decided to be bold. “Levi? Are you okay?”

 

The Prince stopped at that, and turned to face Eren.

 

“Who gave you permission to use my name?” he asked.

 

Eren wilted under the glare he was receiving. “I’m sorry, My Prince.”

 

The Prince sighed, dropping the glare. “You can call me Levi in private. But never in front of other people, understand, brat?”

 

Eren grinned. He could detect the slightest slurring of the Prince’s words, but took the drunken decision at face value. That way, Levi couldn’t argue with it later.

 

Levi had turned again and was walking away. He seemed to be more and more unsteady as the minutes passed.

 

“My – Levi! Wait!” said Eren. He stepped up beside Levi and slung the older man’s arm over his shoulder. “Let’s go.”

 

Levi looked at him strangely, but complied. He really was nicer drunk than he was sober, Eren thought. Maybe he’d get Levi to drink more often. It was almost enjoyable, being with him when he wasn’t his usual caustic self.

 

Just then, Levi stumbled, arm slipping half off Eren’s shoulder as he fell to the ground. Eren was stumbled with him, but quickly regained his balance. Levi didn’t move though. Was he hurt?

 

“Levi! Are you okay? I’m sorry, here, get off the ground – “

 

“I’m fine, idiot. Just help me up.”

 

Eren grabbed Levi’s outstretched hand and hauled him to his feet. His hand was surprisingly warm, considering the weather. He didn’t really want to let go.

 

Levi stumbled again though, unable to stand straight. He was now leaning heavily on Eren.

 

“Goddamnit Levi, you’re heavy,” whined Eren. He backed up against the wall, leaning on it to support some of Levi’s weight.

 

Levi was really close now. Like, stare-into-each-others-eyes close. Eren was suddenly aware of the hot breath on his neck. His neck was really sensitive. If Levi kept that up, Eren was gonna get a boner real quick.

 

He wasn’t stopping. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Horseface! Think of the horseface!

 

It wasn’t working. Levi was still breathing heavily onto his neck, his lips almost brushing the skin. He was driving Eren crazy.

 

He had a definite boner now. And it was pressed right into Levi. There was no way he wouldn’t be able to feel it.

 

Eren cringed, and waited for the sarcastic comment to come.

 

Silence.

 

“Levi?” Eren asked in a choked whisper.

 

No answer.

 

He carefully lifted his arms and pushed Levi away from him.

 

He was unconscious.

 

Eren released a deep breath. The relief was like a wave, the way it swept through him. Probably with a hefty dose of adrenaline too, since his hands were shaking.

 

He looked down at the unconscious man in front of him. “Good timing,” he whispered.

 

Now, how was he going to get Levi back to his rooms?

 

Just then, he heard footsteps approaching from around the corner. He lifted his head as a servant in the livery of the Zoe family rounded the corner.

 

“Hey! Can you help me – “

 

The servant’s horrified expression cut him off midsentence. Eren turned around, looking for the source of the servants horror. There was nothing there.

 

He turned back to the servant, just as the man opened his mouth and yelled “MURDER! MURDER! THE PRINCE IS MURDERED!”

 

 _Shit._ Now it was Eren’s turned to be horrified. “N-no! It’s not like that, he’s just drunk –“

 

The servant was yelling too loudly to hear him. Eren let go of Levi, placing him gently against the wall. “Hey! He’s not dead, I didn’t kill him!”

 

But upon seeing Eren advance towards him, the servant let out a scream and ran down the corridor, still screaming bloody murder.

 

The drumming footsteps of the castle guard could be heard echoing along the corridor now. Eren looked back at Levi, who was still blissfully unconscious. Then, he did what any innocent servant would do – he ran.

 

“He’s getting away! Squad 2, after him!” Eren could hear the shouts behind him. He couldn’t run properly in his stupid tight pointy shoes, but he didn’t have time to stop and remove them.

 

Left, right, left again. There was the Rose Receiving room, where he had come on his first day as Levi’s servant. He was lost now, and footsteps were coming down both corridors.

 

But there – the supply cupboard, that Auruo and Petra had been kissing in!

 

Without thinking it over any longer, Eren opened the door and jumped inside. He tried to calm his heavy breathing as he pulled the doors shut. What if they could hear his heart beating, the way it was racing in his chest right now?

 

The footsteps turned into his stretch of corridor, ran up to the supply cupboard door and… ran past it.

 

Eren let out the breath he had been holding and leaned forward, burying his face in his hands. He would be safe for a while until Levi woke up and explained, and then he would be able to come out.

 

But suddenly, the door was wrenched open and Eren was grabbed by the hair and dragged from the closet.

 

“Gotcha,” breathed the man holding him.

 

He clamped a sweaty palm over Eren’s mouth when he made to yell. Eren bit him, tasting coppery blood and sweat. Gross. But his freedom was short lived when the man glared at him and tied a piece of cloth over his mouth and nose.

 

“Fucking asshole!”

 

Another man laughed. “You’re out of your depth, Erd.”

 

“Shut it, Pixis.”

 

The man – Pixis - rolled his eyes and turned towards the rest of his squad.

 

“Take the kid to the dungeons until we can figure out what happened to the Prince. Bottom cells, bread and water,” he said.

 

“Mmmfh mme gfff, mfftkef!”

 

“Keep still, filth, and hope that the Prince is okay. If not, you’ll be going the same way.”

 

Eren glared up at his captors. “Nffh dffn dff iff!”

 

They merely laughed at him. He was infuriated. They were worse than Levi, worse than anyone he’d ever met!

 

“Gfffnfnf!”

 

It was no use. He was marched down to the dungeons, rotten fruit thrown at him as they passed through the courtyard. They shoved him into a cell and handcuffed him to a ratty bed, chaining his ankles together.

 

Then, leaving the gag in place, they locked the key and left.

 

Eren tried to work the gag free, eventually managing to get it hanging loose around his neck. Finally, he could breathe again.

 

“HELP! I’M INNOCENT!” he yelled.

 

“Shut up, scum!” the guard yelled back.

 

Defeated, Eren did his best to adjust his chains and get comfortable.

 

Why couldn't Levi just wake up already?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isn't this lovely. Eren gagged and tied up and awaiting Levi's rescue. Sorry he's such a dork...  
> Hope you enjoyed! This update is a day early, but next Sunday still stands for updates, I hope. I've got exams coming up in a few weeks, so updates might get a bit sporadic until they're over sorry :(
> 
> EDIT: I'M SO SORRY THERES NO NEW CHAPTER THIS WEEK :( I PROMISE THERE SHALL BE ONE NEXT WEEK PLEASE FORGIVE ME *runs away as fast as possible*


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Levi and general idiocy.

It wasn’t until the next morning that anyone came down to see him. And when they did, Eren shrunk away to a corner of his cell and tried to hide.

 

It was Mikasa and Armin.

 

“What did you do, Eren?” Mikasa whispered icily.

 

Eren gulped. “It wasn’t my fault, Mikasa!”

 

She ignored him and continued. “No-one knew where you were last night. Annie said you were still at the ball when she left. But you never came back, Eren. What were we meant to think?”

 

Eren hung his head. “I’m sorry, Mikasa. They think I killed Levi, but he was just passed out drunk, I swear!”

 

At this, Armin leaned forward. “So it’s Levi now, is it?”

 

Eren blushed. “He said I could. Of course, he was kinda drunk when he said it, but…”

 

“Did you sleep with him, Eren?” Armin asked seriously.

 

Eren blushed even further. “Armin! Don’t say things like that! I didn’t, of course I didn’t!”

 

Mikasa was glaring daggers at him now. “Eren, don’t get mixed up with him. He’s a Prince and a bastard, he’s just going to hurt you.”

 

“I’m not, Mikasa!”

 

Armin was laughing at him behind Mikasa’s back. Eren swore quietly. The blond did it on purpose! He turned his back to the cell door and ignored both Mikasa and Armin. He would see them when he got out of here later.

 

 

 

His next visitor was, surprisingly, Erwin.

 

The blond man came down to Eren’s cell in the early afternoon.

 

“Well, Eren, looks like you’ve got the castle in a mess!” he said cheerfully.

 

“Sir! Is Levi awake yet?”

 

Erwin chuckled. “He is, but you won’t be out of here until tonight.”

 

“What! Why not?”

 

Erwin smiled. “I’ll leave it to him to explain when he comes down here.”

 

“Erwin,” Eren whined, “That’s not – wait, did you say he was coming down?”

 

“He probably is, once he gets over his hangover.”

 

“Is he – does he remember what happened last night?” Eren asked.

 

Erwin just shrugged. “You’ll have to ask him,” he called over his shoulder.

 

And then Eren was alone again.

 

It was hard to keep track of time in the cells. He thought it was about mid-afternoon, but the light getting through his grimy window was really ambiguous.

 

He amused himself by counting the dust motes he could see shimmering in the ambiguous ray of light.

 

456, 457, 458, 459…

 

Idly toying with the key around his neck, he wondered if Levi was even going to show up. It seemed like it would amuse the Prince to leave him in the cells for another night.

 

522, 523, 524…

 

897, 898, 899, 900…

 

Dimly, he registered that someone was yelling outside. It sounded like Petra.

 

977, 978, 979, 980, 981, 982, 983, 984, 985, 986, 987, 988…

 

More yelling. Now he could definitely hear Petra. Keys jangling, that couldn’t be his cell…

 

998, 999, 1000 –

 

“Eren!”

 

Eren jumped up from the bed at the sound of the voice, forgetting his chains and tangling his left ankle in the loops of iron. He pitched forward, arms swinging out wildly to break his fall.

 

Someone’s arms grabbed at his waist, gripping painfully as they hauled him upright.

 

The arms tightened around his waist and then released, with the owner taking a step backwards.

 

“If that’s how you thank me, I’m of half a mind to leave you here, brat.”

 

Eren gulped. Of course it would be Levi who caught him. He opened his mouth to say something, but quickly snapped it shut at the look on Levi’s face.

 

“So, I heard you were plotting a murder.”

 

“I w-wasn’t! I swear, Levi – “

 

“Who said you could call me that?”

 

Eren’s eyes shifted to Petra and Auruo’s shocked faces.

 

“No-one, my Prince,” he whispered.

 

“Good,” snapped Levi, “get up, you’re coming with me. Petra and Auruo, leave.”

 

The two of them gave Eren sympathetic looks and left, although he could have sworn that Auruo was smirking. Eren attempted to get up, but the pull of the chains reminded him of his position.

 

“My Prince? Do you have a key?” he asked.

 

“Would I come down here without one?

 

Levi bent down to where Eren’s chains were attatched, unlocking first his wrists, and then his ankles. As soon as he was free, Eren shook his arms and legs, rubbing at his wrists.

 

Levi frowned. “Did they hurt you?”

 

God forbid that be genuine concern from Levi.

 

“No,” Eren muttered. He had bruises along his ribs and arms, but he wasn’t about to say anything.

 

To his surprise though, Levi rolled his eyes. “Pixis’ crew caught you, brat. Don’t try and pull that shit on me.”

 

Eren stared at him. “Sir…”

 

“What?” he snapped.

 

“You – you swore…”

 

Levi looked as surprised as Eren did. “I’m not a saint, kid.”

 

“O-okay… Levi.”

 

The Prince stared at Eren.

 

Eren stared back at the prince.

 

He wondered if he should pull out his puppy dog eyes again. The Prince’s gaze was _intense_.

 

In the end, it was Levi who broke the staring contest first, turning away with a “Tch”.

 

“I’m banning you from speaking to Erwin from now on.”

 

Disorientated by the sudden loss of eye contact, Eren merely blinked.

 

“He’s a bad influence on you. I never had this shit from Auruo or Petra.”

 

“Sorry, my Prince.”

 

Levi exhaled deeply, turning around to stare back at Eren.

 

“Don’t… call me that. You can call me Levi,” he muttered, quietly enough that Eren had to strain to hear the words.

 

 

“Okay, Levi!” he grinned.

 

Levi rolled his eyes at the sudden enthusiasm. “Shut it, brat.”

 

Eren grinned like a puppy all the way back to the tower.

 

 

As it happened, while Levi had treated him well enough, the rest of the castle seemed to see him as his would-be murderer. The filthy looks and glares that Eren received over the rest of the day had him hiding under the protection of Levi’s equally filthy glare.

 

That didn’t stop the rumours. By the end of the day, Eren had heard several stories of how he had drugged Levi’s drink and had been trying to smuggle him out of the castle as a hostage for a ransom. He had supposedly transformed into a wild beast, lashing out at the soldiers and biting the hand of one particularly brave man. He had been kidnapping Levi to have his way with him, and the servant had caught him with his pants down.

 

The last one made Eren blush as he recalled the awkward position he’d been in the previous night.

 

Thank God Levi had passed out.

 

His blush only intensified every time Levi looked at him, no matter how much Eren willed it to go away. By the end of the day, the Prince had taken to openly staring at him.

 

He seemed to find it amusing.

 

They were in Levi’s private rooms when he finally broached the topic.

 

“So why are you blushing like a maiden, brat?”

 

Eren blushed even harder, if possible. “I’m not!”

 

“Right, and I’m the King of Maria.”

 

Eren stared at the Prince. Had that been… a joke?

 

“And now he’s staring again,” Levi was saying exasperatedly, “Honestly, brat, were you raised in a slum?”

 

“Yes,” snapped Eren.

 

Levi smirked. “We’ll have to train that out of you.”

 

Eren ignored him, turning away and resuming his scrubbing of the Prince’s boots. Which were, thankfully, not on his feet.

 

He didn’t look up at the Prince, but he could feel his eyes tracking him. Assessing, judging, calculating.

 

“I’ve heard some interesting stories about last night, brat.”

 

Damn it, he was blushing again.

 

“O-oh? Like what,” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady. He kept his head down, staring at Levi’s boots.

 

“Look at me when I’m talking to you.”

 

“I’ve got to polish these boots, sir.”

 

“If you keep polishing, there won’t be any boot left.” Levi remarked. He stood up, swinging his legs off the couch and walking over to Eren, who was crouched on the floor.

 

Bending down. Two cold fingers under his chin, lifting it up. Eren shivered at the contact, finally meeting Levi’s slate grey eyes.

 

They were warm, an expression Eren had only ever seen reserved for Erwin and Petra.

 

“Why don’t you tell me what happened yesterday?” Levi murmured.

 

Eren said nothing, suddenly very aware of their proximity.

 

He looked down, looked anywhere except Levi, but those fingers were still on his chin, guiding his face back up.

 

He couldn’t stop blushing, damn it. That was enough!

 

Eren jumped up, springing away from Levi and hitting him in the face in the process.

 

“Shit! I’m sorry, Levi, I didn’t mean – “

 

“Shut up,” Levi hissed, holding a hand to his cheekbone “and tell me what happened.”

 

“Well,” Eren began nervously, “You passed out when we were walking back, and a servant came along, and saw me holding you, and thought you were dead, and raised the alarm.”

 

Levi removed his hand from his face, giving Eren a full view of the shadow of a bruise on his cheekbone. He stared at it guiltily until Levi spoke again.

 

“Is that all?”

 

“Y-yes…”

 

“No, it’s not.”

 

“It is!”

 

“So why have you been blushing like a virgin all day?”

 

“No – no reason!”

 

Levi eyed him for a minute, Eren squirming under his gaze.

 

“Fine, brat. Don’t think I won’t find out.”

 

Eren nodded, relieved. There was no way the Prince could find out.

 

Levi was now walking over to the _mahogany_ dresser. He lifted a crystal bottle, pouring the contents into two glasses and beckoning Eren over.

 

“Drink. It’s scotch from the Riviera, expensive as fuck and better with company.”

 

“Drink?” Eren repeated.

 

“Yes, brat, drink.”

 

Eren took the glass from Levi’s hand, taking a tentative sip.

 

His eyes widened.

 

Levi laughed, actually laughed, and said “It’s good, isn’t it?”

 

Eren nodded, draining the contents of his glass. Levi beckoned for it and he handed it over for a refill.

 

“It’s also very strong alcohol,” Levi commented casually. He had only taken a small sip from his own glass.

 

He walked over to sit on the lounge, Eren following. The second glass was gone by the time he had sat down and watched Levi hold his cup weirdly for 5 minutes.

 

Levi was already reaching out to refill his glass.

 

“Are ya ssuuure, Levi?” Eren slurred.

 

Levi smirked at him. “Bloody lightweight. Here, drink.”

 

Eren did so, slumping against the lounge with a loud sigh.

 

“So, what happened last night?” Levi asked, sipping at his drink.

 

“You’re… pretty!” Eren said, concentrating at the effort it took to form the words.

 

Levi raised his eyebrows. “So are you, brat.”

 

“You were.. breathing… o’me… on my neck… fffeels gooood.”

 

“How good?”

 

“Reeaaally good, like mmm,”

 

Eren was cut off by Levi suddenly looming over him. Sitting on the couch next to him. Leaning in close to his shoulder and caressing his neck.

 

“Like this, Eren?”

 

Eren arched his back, pressing his shoulders against the couch.

 

“Y-yes…”

 

And then Levi was gone. Eren groaned at the sudden loss of feeling, but the Prince was already halfway across the room, placing his empty glass on the desk.

 

He looked at Eren, his gaze unfathomable, before turning on his heel and striding out of the room.

 

Eren sat up, confused. “Wh-what?”

 

But Levi was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Eren. What's wrong with Levi, I wonder? Next chapter will be Levi's POV :)
> 
> Well my exams start TOMORROW!!!!! Next update probably won't be for a couple of weeks because of that...
> 
> I apologise for this short and shitty chapter, I've been studying a lot and rushed it through. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and left kudos, you guys make me all very happy :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What in the world is wrong with Levi?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thankyou so much for being patient guys. And, as always, thanks for the kudos and comments! So... after one month... here it is... *ducks beneath a table*

“Eren.”

 

“Mmm…”

 

“Eren!”

 

“Wha-“

 

“Eren, get up!”

 

“Don’ wanna.”

 

“Eren, you have to get up now.”

 

A deeper voice cut in.

 

“Leave him to me. Petra, Armin, you may go.”

 

“Armin?” mumbled Eren.

 

“Yes, Armin. Come on Eren, we need you to get up.”

 

“M’head hurts,” Eren groaned.

 

He heard a sigh somewhere.

 

“5 more minu – AH”

 

His eyes flew open, vision muffled by Erwin’s broad chest as the man carried him off the couch.

 

“Erwin! Put me down!” he begged.

 

The taller man ignored his request, walking faster instead.

 

“It’ll be easier this way. Levi’s almost here, and he isn’t happy.”

 

“Not happy… why?”

 

Erwin glanced down at him.

 

“We were hoping you might be able to tell us that.”

 

Eren wriggled in Erwin’s embrace.

 

“Keep still.”

 

He couldn’t think of anything that would have made the Prince angry. He frowned, trying to remember the previous night.

 

“I can’t remember… we were drinking, and I don’t really do well with alcohol…”

 

“Why were you drinking with your Prince, Eren?” Erwin sounded disapproving.

 

“He told me to! I can’t say no to _Levi_.” Eren protested.

 

“Let me give you some advice, Eren,” Erwin cut in. “Before Levi was adopted, he was living outside the walls. He has seen more horrors than you will ever see in your lifetime. He is _fragile_ , Eren. For some reason he favors you. Dare I say – he trusts you –“

 

“He doesn’t!”

 

Erwin gave him a sharp look.

 

“I know Levi like no-one else does, Eren. He wouldn’t hire just any person on my word. He wouldn’t offer drinks to that same person, and drink with them. He doesn’t trust easily. So I suggest that you think hard about what you have done to upset him, and _fix it_.”

 

“But, I –“

 

“Eren. He likes you for a reason. But if you don’t fix whatever you’ve done, I will see to it that you are never allowed in the castle again.”

 

Eren went silent.

 

“Good. Now – “ Erwin was interrupted by the door to Levi’s room opening. Petra poked her head around the corner, eyes wide.

 

“Erwin! He’s here, now!” Shit, he did not want Levi to see him like this. Eren started squirming, trying to escape Erwin’s arms.

 

But Erwin’s hold did not weaken, not even when a cold voice came from the doorway. “Thankyou, Petra.”

 

She jumped, blushing bright red.

 

“Sorry, my Prince.”

 

Erwin muttered something under his breath. Eren stopped squirming and instead hid his face in Erwin’s jacket.

 

What was Levi going to think now? He was lying to Erwin when he said he didn’t remember. But they’d been drunk! He’d been drunk, at least. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t seen Levi drink a single thing…

 

“Aren’t you too old to be seducing my staff, Erwin?”

 

Erwin smiled. “My charm hasn’t faded with age, Levi.”

 

“Tch. Get him out of my rooms.”

 

Eren muffled a sound of protest into Erwin’s jacket.

 

“Oh? I thought he was out cold.”

 

Eren blushed furiously and resumed his squirming.

 

“Put me down, Erwin!”

 

“Can you walk?”

 

“Yes! Now put me down!”

 

Erwin lowered his feet gently to the ground, supporting his body until he gained his balance. Eren straightened his sleep-rumpled clothing as best he could, trying to avoid Levi’s eyes. His buttons were really captivating, come to think of it, all deep blue and shiny and gold borders. So were his shoes, and Erwin’s shoes, and the _mahogany_ dresser and the huge mirror on the wall opposite him… Wow. He looked like shit.

 

“You look like shit, brat.”

 

Eren jumped. Levi was standing right in front of him, peering into his undoubtedly bloodshot eyes.

 

“Yeah, well, if you didn’t get me so drunk…” Eren muttered.

 

Levi’s face closed off at the mention of the previous night. Eren was seriously intrigued now. Why was Levi so touchy about last night? It was just a bit of harmless fun, it didn’t have to mean anything. Hell, Eren had had his fair share of one night stands and casual hook-ups with random Shiganshina citizens.

 

He was willing to bet that there were people falling over their feet to get to Levi as well. He was ridiculously successful, ridiculously attractive and ridiculously wealthy. And he was the _Crown Prince_.

 

Although… wouldn’t that mean that Levi was a virgin? Purity until marriage, and all that bullshit.

 

“I don’t think that my sexual status is any of your concern,” the Prince hissed.

 

Eren felt the blood rushing to his cheeks as he realised he had inadvertently voiced his thoughts once again.

 

“I didn’t mean – “ He was cut off by the Prince’s glare.

 

“Get him out of here, Erwin.”

 

“Levi,” Erwin murmured.

 

“I don’t care, Erwin. Get the fuck out of here.”

 

Erwin bowed his head, grabbing one of Eren’s arms.

 

“Yes, my Prince.”

 

* * *

 

The next time Eren heard anything from Levi, he was on his hands and knees, scrubbing at a particularly stubborn stain of unknown origin.

 

He didn’t hear the Prince moving at all until a pair of extremely well polished boots stopped in front of his face.

 

Eren jumped, twisting over onto his back and knocking over the bucket of wash water as his hands went flying.

 

“Fuck,” he groaned.

 

The Prince sighed. “Can’t you do anything right, brat?”

 

“I can piss you off, apparently,” Eren muttered under his breath.

 

“What was that?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

Eren finally glanced up at Levi. He looked… amused? But as soon as Eren’s eyes met his, his features closed off again.

 

Eren sighed, frustrated. “Why do you always do that?”

 

“Do what?” asked Levi, who had stepped to the side of the puddle of water.

 

“With your face! I can’t read anything about how you’re feeling, if I’ve pissed you off or upset you or even – made you fucking _happy_.”

 

Miniscule creases appeared between Levi’s brows, but vanished just as quickly.

 

“Does it bother you that much, Eren?”

 

Eren stood up, leaning against the wall as he considered the statement. If he was honest, the challenge of reading Levi was one of the things that made his company interesting. And when Levi did show emotion, it was a signal to Eren that he was doing something right, whether it be cleaning mahogany correctly, or not knocking over buckets of dirty water.

 

“No… I guess it doesn’t bother me that much,” he said quietly.

 

Levi nodded.

 

“Come on then. My boots need polishing.”

 

“Wait! What about this?” Eren asked, gesturing to the mess around him.

 

“Leave it. Some shithead will slip in it and realise they need to clean it up.”

 

Eren was worried at that prediction, but he mumbled his assent and walked over to Levi.

 

They were heading back to Levi’s quarters. The walk was made in silence, Eren thinking frantically in his head. Was Levi still pissed about last night? Was he going to punish Eren? Was that why he was being nice? To get Eren to let down his guard? What if he was going to fire him? The man was so fucking mercurial that Eren couldn’t tell what was going to happen to him.

 

He was so caught up in his musings that he didn’t realise that Levi was holding his door open for him, one eyebrow raised mockingly.

 

“Sorry,” Eren whispered. He was feeling a little sick now.

 

“You look like you’re going to puke, kid. Don’t do it on my carpet.”

 

“I-I’m not!” Eren protested.

 

Levi rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to bite. Go and sit down and stop looking like you’re gonna fucking piss your pants.”

 

Eren did as he was told and sat, when something occurred to him.

 

“How come you speak like a gentleman sometimes, but then sometimes you talk like... like a kid from the slums.”

 

“I am a kid from the slums.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“I only talk like that around people I feel comfortable with.”

 

Oh. Eren blushed and looked up at Levi through his lashes. The Prince had his mask back on, but there was a faint tinge of pink on his cheeks.

 

Eren decided not to push the matter. He looked around the room, gaze catching on the _mahogany_ dresser. The crystal bottle from last night was still resting on it, but it was empty. Had Levi been drinking this morning?

 

That would certainly explain the amiable mood he seemed to be in. And the way he was being so free with his thoughts.

 

Eren decided to push his luck.

 

“Levi?” he asked tentatively.

 

Levi nodded at him to continue.

 

“Why were you upset about last night?”

 

The miniscule frown lines appeared between Levi’s brows once again.

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Oh…”

 

“Look, brat, I know you just want to get into my pants, but – “

 

“What! No, no I don’t, Levi, that’s not all I want!”

 

Levi raised his eyebrows.

 

“Not all?” he asked. 

 

Eren’s blush returned. “I mean… you’re attractive… but that’s not the reason! I just wanted to get your attention, you seemed really interesting to me, and you wouldn’t even spare me a glance, so I thought that this job would – “

 

“Quit rambling, kid. I got it.”

 

Eren looked relieved. Levi was smirking, so he couldn’t have been too bothered.

 

He was so confused.

 

“So… what am I doing here?” he asked.

 

“You should be cleaning my boots.”

 

“O-oh! Okay!”

 

“I’m kidding, brat. I dragged you up here to tell you that I’m going away for a week.”

 

“What? Why?”

 

“I have responsibilities outside of getting drunk with shitty servants, you know.”

 

“Oh…”

 

Levi sighed, clearing his face of expression.

 

“You’ll have a weeks holiday, brat. Don’t look so depressed.”

 

“When will you be back?” Eren asked.

 

“I leave tomorrow morning, so I’ll be back next Friday.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Levi’s face softened slightly. “Now get out, brat, I have to pack.”

 

Eren smiled. “Shouldn’t a servant do that for you, old man?”

 

There, now Levi’s trademark scowl was back on his face.

 

“None of you could do it right. Now get out, you little shit, before I have you back in the stables for the week.”

 

Eren laughed at Levi, giving a mocking bow as he left the room.

 

It was going to be a long and boring week without Levi. But maybe he could take the time to get to grips with his feelings for the Prince, which he suspected were moving far beyond the realm of appropriate.

 

And he could spend some time with Mikasa and Armin. He hadn’t seen them much lately.

 

Satisfied, he turned the corner and bumped straight into two figures. Two men. Marco and the Prince of Horses. Who were making out enthusiastically against the wall.

 

“What the fuck!”

 

They jumped apart guiltily, Marco wiping at the saliva on his lips.

 

“Eren!”

 

“Marco, what the fuck are you doing?”

 

“What does it look like, idiot?” snapped horseface.

 

Marco sighed. “Eren, this is Jean. He’s my…” he trailed off to glance at Jean.

 

Jean shuffled his feet awkwardly.

 

“My lover,” Marco finished, turning back to Eren.

 

Eren had his mouth gaping open. Jean sniggered.

 

“Shut your trap, Jaeger, before the flies get in.”

 

“How do you know my name?” Eren hissed.

 

“Marco told me,” Jean said.

 

Eren just wanted to punch the smug expression off his face. He took a deep breath and turned to Marco.

 

“Marco, we need to talk.” He grabbed the taller boy’s arm and dragged him around the corner.

 

“Bye, Jean,” Marco called back.

 

They continued walking until they were out of the castle grounds, before Eren stopped and turned to Marco.

 

“Does Historia know?”

 

Marco looked puzzled, but then laughed. “Yes, she does. And she approves of it. She doesn’t love Jean either, she’s lesbian and she’s got a girlfriend.”

 

Eren was gaping like a fish again, opening and shutting his mouth as he tried to summon the correct words.

 

“It’s okay, Eren. Jean and I are both happy with this arrangement.”

 

“But he’s a _Prince_ , Marco! Are you okay with being his hidden fuckbuddy for the rest of your life?”

 

“Yes, I am. Besides, you seem to be okay with Levi the same way.”

 

“That’s different!” Eren insisted, flustered. “Nothing’s going on between us!”

 

Marco raised his eyebrows. “If you say so, Eren.”

 

Eren huffed. “I still don’t like horseface.”

 

Marco laughed at that, placing an arm on Eren’s shoulder.

 

“I didn’t expect you two to get along, Eren. You’re both too similar for that.”

 

“We are nothing alike.”

 

“Okay, Eren,” Marco soothed, “Come on, let’s head home.”

 

They walked home in a companiable silence. Eren was worried about Marco. The guy was practically a saint, and Jean seemed like an asshole. Maybe he should tell the others?

 

“Marco, does anyone else know about you and hor- you and Jean?”

 

“Yeah, everyone knew except you,” Marco laughed.

 

“What!”

 

“You’re not around much anymore, Eren, and you’re always preoccupied with Levi,” Marco defended.

 

Eren felt like shit. “I’m sorry, Marco,” he mumbled.

 

“It’s okay, Eren.”

 

Eren looked up at him. His face was intense, green eyes narrowed.

 

“I’ve been a shitty friend, Marco. You can come talk to me anytime about Jean, okay?”

 

Marco smiled and put an arm around Eren’s shoulders.

 

“I will, Eren.”

 

* * *

 

The next day, Eren rose early and dressed, leaving a note for Mikasa. He ran to Hannes’ house and begged a horse from him. He rode up to the hill near Trost district, the one that overlooked the road out of Maria.

 

Levi’s party was riding down the road, green cloaks flying the wings of freedom, symbol of the army. He could make out Petra’s orange hair, Oluo’s stout figure and Eld and Gunther’s figures.

 

At the front, he could see Levi’s petite frame riding beside Erwin’s. Erwin leaned over his saddle to say something to Levi, and then both turned their heads in Eren’s direction.

 

Could they see him? Eren stood up in his saddle and waved. Erwin waved back, before turning and riding ahead of Levi.

 

Levi kept his head turned in Eren’s direction. Had he seen him? Maybe Erwin didn’t mention his presence…

 

Just as they reached the shadow of the wall, Levi raised a hand towards Eren.

 

Eren grinned like a loon all the way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LEVI POV COMING UP NEXT CHAPTER!!!  
> I'm really excited to write Levi, actually. Eh but that won't be next week... weekly updates are a thing of the past, I think :( :(   
> IM SO SO SORRY ABOUT THE LATENESS OF THIS CHAPTER. Pretty much as soon as my exams were over, I was off holidaying up at Port Stephens and Port Macquarie for a few weeks.   
> School starts again tomorrow :( Going into year 12 now, and not looking forward to it. Since theres going to be more time between chapters now, they should start getting longer.   
> Anyways, this is the spot for some shameless self promotion: find me on tumblr at miss-madhatter.tumblr.com <3


	6. Insert: Levi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi POV chapter as promised. SEE END FOR PROFUSE APOLOGIES.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention this the first time, but the last chapter actually bought me past 1000 hits and 100 kudos!
> 
> I never expected this fic to get this far, so I'm amazed and really grateful to everyone who's read this. Thankyou so much guys :D Consider the Levi POV a milestone marker haha

They encounter a group of bandits not 10 minutes from the walls.

 

In some ways, this is fortunate, but in others it is the worst possible scenario.

 

It’s fortunate because Levi can finally drag his thoughts from a certain member of his personal staff.

 

But, it also means that the situation outside the walls has gotten worse.

 

When Levi first took command of the army, bandits were a rare problem stumbled upon by the far-reaching parties of the scouting legion. They tended to stay clear of the walls, what with the army base so close by. They were safe. Cautious.

 

They’ve gotten braver lately, though. Levi is frustrated, because he knows that the army was never a real deterrent. All along, it was a figurehead, just enough to scare the lowlives back into the uncharted territory, scurrying back into their holes like so many mice.

 

Now, they’re smarter. They know that the cat is weak, corrupt, lazy.

 

He rises from his crouching position in the shrubbery and silently makes his way back to his squad.

 

They are mounted, holding his horse’s reins, ready to ride at the slightest signal.

 

“At least 25,” Levi snaps in response to their inquiring gazes, “We can’t take them. Move out.”

 

Erwin nods, letting him know he’s made the right choice. Well, he might not be a 16 year old novice scared shitless anymore, but Erwin’s approval always makes him feel secure in his decisions.

 

The old man’s never made a wrong decision in his life, Levi would swear by it.

 

He swings a leg over his saddle and taps his horse’s rumps with his heels to get her moving.

 

They ride out in a wide arc around the bandit camp, wedge formation, with Erwin at the point. Hanji – _Lady Hanji_ , he thinks sarcastically – is on his left, Levi on his right. Petra rides behind Levi to the right, dark green hood pulled up over her distinctive orange hair. Auruo is in the same position behind her, with Eld and Gunther occupying the same positions on the left. Captain Mike Zacharius rides at the back of the wedge, in the middle, directly behind Erwin.

 

It’s efficient, well-practised and safe. Even so, Levi doesn’t fully relax until the gates of the Karanese external army base are creaking shut behind him.

 

And then he has to deal with Nile Dawk’s overly planar face with its pathetic little moustache.

 

Nile’s forehead furrows into a deep frown at the sight of Levi. Despite this, he turns to Erwin.

 

“Erwin! Glad to see you made it safely,” he calls with false cheer.

 

Levi bristles. As Crown Prince, he should have been addressed first. He doesn’t particularly give a shit about his title, but there are _certain_ people from whom he demands… respect.

 

Not surprisingly, Nile Dawk holds the number one spot on that list.

 

Well. He’ll be the bigger man, and overlook the deliberate slight.

 

“Oh, and Levi too! Sorry Levi, I didn’t see you down there just now!”

 

So much for being the bigger man.

 

“Dawk,” he snaps in greeting, “Your face gets stupider with every visit.”

 

As the words leave his mouth, he can’t help but think that it’s a very Eren-like reaction. Maybe the brat’s rubbing off on him.

 

Levi surreptiously brushes down his cloak at the thought, all the while glaring at Nile.

 

The man is smiling once again, taking their little altercation in his stride. Although, that might have more to do with Erwin’s pointed look towards Nile, and his heavy hand on Levi’s shoulder.

 

“Well, lets get you settled then,” Nile claps his hands, “Leave your horses, the stableboys will take them. Your regular rooms are ready, if you’d like to go clean up before dinner.”

 

Levi jolts at the mention of stableboys, instinctively picturing an enthused, irrational stableboy back in Maria.

 

As they walk up to their rooms, he wonders what the brat is doing. Probably pestering those friends of his – the mushroom and the girl with the scarf – or flirting shamelessly with the cooks.

 

He unpacks his travelling bags methodically, clothes folded neatly in a drawer, toothbrush in a cup exactly _that_ far from the edge of the sink. He remakes the bed to his standards, knowing that Nile still wouldn’t have bothered to tell someone how to do it properly.

 

Once he’s done, he’s still got the better part of an hour to idle away before dinner. He collapses on the worn fabric of the couch, boots up on a footstool.

 

But an idle mind is the devil’s playground, if the devil has beautiful red hair, or white, or startling green eyes, so Levi hauls himself back off the couch and hunts for his handkerchief.

 

That is how Erwin finds him half an hour later – sleeves rolled to the elbows, white handkerchief tied over his nose and mouth, on his hands and knees scrubbing at a particularly stubborn stain on the floor.

 

Cleaning has always been an outlet for him, but he hasn’t been this in need of one for a long time.  

 

Erwin only sighs and crouches down beside him, having long become accustomed to Levi’s habits.

 

“Do you want to talk about it?” he queries.

 

Levi sits back on his heels, putting down his bleached rag and removing his handkerchief.

 

“No.” He replies without inflection, grey eyes tired but not giving anything away.

 

Erwin nods, and Levi is eternally grateful for how much understanding is in his friend’s eyes.

 

“We won’t be here long,” Erwin says softly.

 

Levi slumps. He knows. Erwin always knows.

 

There’s no point in hiding it anymore. He stares at the stain on the ground, willing himself to stay calm.

 

“I hate coming here,” he whispers, “And especially now, when I should be training my new servant.” If his voice is a little ragged, Erwin ignores it. The Karanese base has always been a place of anguish for Levi.

 

“Just a week, Levi. We’ll be going out plenty, you won’t be stuck here the whole time,” Erwin murmurs.

 

“We’re going out first thing tomorrow, in fact,” says a voice from the doorway.

 

Hanji bounces into the room, losing a little of her exuberance at the sight of Levi’s cleaning supplies.

 

Levi sends her a half-hearted glare, just to keep up appearances.

 

“Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?” he grumbles.

 

Hanji clasps a hand to her chest.

 

“Levee! True friends have no need for knocking, no need for doors!”

 

Levi chooses to ignore this entirely fictitious statement, instead hauling himself to his feet and looking down at Erwin. Which is a nice change, he has to admit.

 

He packages all thoughts of Isabel and Farlan and buries them in a mental chest, locking it and hiding the key.

 

He wants to do the same for Eren, but he can’t bring himself to erase the idiot from his mind. And he doesn’t have to, Eren’s not dead, not like Isabel and Farlan, Eren will be waiting for him when he gets back from this futile expedition.

 

He’s long passed over the stage of denial and is now firmly set in acceptance. Denial was when he ran from Eren the night he got drunk. Denial was the uncontrollable fear at the thought of opening up to someone again, blinding rage at his weakness, bitterness over the losses he’d suffered already.

 

Acceptance is good. Acceptance is less demanding than denial, the constant censoring of thoughts, fighting against the human brain.

 

Acceptance is bad. Acceptance is more demanding than denial, the constant battle to concentrate on the now, fighting the urge to give in to his daydreams.

 

Distractions are good. But scarce.

 

He knows he can’t give in. Acceptance is one thing, action is another. He knows he won’t be acting on his desire for Eren anytime soon. He knows the interest is mutual; a blind man could see it. But he will continue to refuse himself, because he can’t bear to see Eren hurt.

 

Erwin is looking up at him, years of grief and sorrow and _Levi_ etched into his face. How many of those lines has Levi put there himself? Erwin will never tell him.

 

Erwin will tell him that he won’t be hurting Eren, that Eren is safe, that Isabel and Farlan weren’t his fault.

 

He’ll say that Levi’s been shouldering the blame for too long, and that his family – the only family he ever had – would want him to be happy.

 

And Levi will listen, for a time, and forget his guilt, throw away his burdens.

 

“Come on, old man, we’re going out,” he says.

 

Erwin’s gaze is assessing, evaluating, but he nods anyway.

 

Hanji squeals. “Yippeee!”

 

Maybe for a little while it’ll be okay to forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ha  
> hahahaha  
> hahaha  
> about that....remember what I said about longer chapters.....  
> I will try harder for the next one D: my workload is a little hectic right now  
> I'm sorry for the lateness :(  
> Hugs and cookies for you all xx


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